Freedom

How amazing is it when we are set free from the chains of anything that holds us down?

I felt called to student ministry at the young age of 15. At that time, I had no idea there were people who believed that wasn’t a woman’s place. Fast forward a few years to the moment I officially entered the field working on staff at a church, that reality hit me smack-dab in the face.

There were men telling me where my place was.

There were other women telling me where my place was.

According to them, my place was behind a desk as an assistant. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being an assistant, I do believe there is a lot wrong with constantly telling an individual that is all they will ever do. Because of the constant voices I heard telling me what they believed I was capable of, the voice of the Lord—the ONLY voice that matters—began to get quieter. I started to wonder if He had really called me into student ministry.

Maybe I heard Him wrong?

I became covered with chains of oppression, and they were so incredibly heavy.

Thankfully, the Lord took me out of that situation. He opened up a door that allowed me to joyfully walk in the area He had called me into. Can I be honest, though? Even though I was no longer in an environment where voices were belittling me because of my gender, I still felt like I didn’t belong. I still felt like an outsider around other youth pastors. Especially in my neck of the woods, where most youth pastors are white, male, and look nothing like me.

But friends, God is so good. God so beautifully placed a crown of freedom on my head, reminding me that I am no longer shackled to the voices that lied to me. He leads me to walk in forgiveness toward the individuals that hurt me. He also showed me that those very youth pastors that seem so different from me are not enemies, but friends and allies on this journey.

I am no longer held down by the chains of feeling limited because I am a woman. God has set me FREE and every single day He shows me that I am allowed a seat at the table. It doesn’t matter who I am or what has been said to me; instead, it matters who HE is and what HE says about me.

I am called.

I am chosen.

I am free.

And friend, you are free, as well!

If God has called you to minister, allow Jesus to remove those chains.

You are called, chosen, and set free.

Get rid of those shackles and walk joyfully in God’s freedom.